_Brat Farrar_
by Josephine Tey
read by Carole Boyd
They'd named him Bartholemew Farrell when he was left on the doorstep of a very
good orphanage in London. But in spite of it being an exemplary specimen of its
sort, the orphanage never felt properly home to Brat, as his fellows came to
call him. So, while still well below being of age, he took a day trip to Calais
in France and never came back, finding his true calling once he reached the
United States where he began working with horses, now accepting the last name of
Farrar.
He was about twenty-one when he returned to England, and was surprised to be
hailed as "Simon" by a man he'd never met, a man who was equally surprised to
realize his new acquaintance was not Simon Ashby after all, but enough like him
to be his twin--who was conveniently missing. So, what if Brat Farrar should
agree to impersonate the long-lost Patrick Ashby, who would have inherited the
estate of Latchetts within a month's time, had he not presumably committed
suicide at the age of thirteen shortly after the plane crash that had claimed
the lives of their parents? The estate included a well established stud,
boasting among the best horses in the Kent district. To own such a place was
something Brat had never hoped to dream of, and it could be his--if he would
agree to pretend to be the long-missing Patrick Ashby. But then it appears that
Patrick had neither committed suicide nor run away, but instead was murdered,
with that murderer now awaiting an opportune moment to repeat the action with
Brat as his next victim....
This has long been one of my favorite mysteries. One doesn't find oneself
empathizing with an imposter, but Brat Farrar is so very decent in spite of his
duplicitous intentions. This was one of the deals of the day available on
Audible within the last few months, and it was wonderful to read it again with
Carole Boyd as the narrator. An exceedingly fine story, well read by an
excellent lady. Definitely recommended.
Bonnie L. Sherrell
Teacher at Large
"Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgement. For even the very
wise cannot see all ends." LOTR
"Don't go where I can't follow."
We gave the Goblin King control of our nation!
